Direct selling company Amway has named Milind Pant as its Chief Executive Officer. Milind Pant, who lives in Dallas, Texas, and most recently served as President of Pizza Hut International, takes over the position on Jan. 2. He will report directly to Amway’s Board of Directors

In a news release, Amway said the position is a first for the company. Previously, Steve Van Andel and Doug DeVos served as co-CEOs. Both men will now serve as co-chairs of the company's board of directors.

“This is a new position for Amway, a business that has been family run since its beginning in 1959,” Amway said in a statement.

Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel stated, “Milind brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to help lead Amway to even greater heights.  “We’re confident his leadership and strong track record of driving growth and transformational change will go far in advancing Amway’s focus on empowering entrepreneurs and meeting customer needs with exclusive and innovative products.”

Pant, an alumnus from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and Master of Management Studies from Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India, is credited with radically expanding Pizza Hut’s international division through growth across Asia, India, and Europe. Besides overseeing more than 9,000 Pizza Hut stores outside the US, he was also the force behind the advancement of ecommerce and digital strategies of the company.

Prior to Prior to joining Yum! Brands, he spent 14 years with Unilever in a variety of executive roles, including vice-president of Foods for Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey.

Amway has been co-led by Van Andel who has served as Amway Chairman since 1995 and Doug DeVos who has served as Amway's President since 2002. The business started by Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos, will continue to be family-owned and family-led. The overall management and leadership of the business will be assumed by Milind.